Why does the sea move away from the beaches of Acapulco?

19/02/2019

Last weekend, in different parts of Acapulco, the sea moved away from the beach up to 20 meters inland. The displacement allowed the rocky bottom of the beach to be seen. This Sunday was visible on the beaches of Caleta and Caletilla. The Secretariat of Civil Protection of Guerrero said that the phenomenon "is an anticyclonic system located on the coasts of California, United States."

Last weekend, the phenomenon allowed the rocky bottom to be seen, the curious fact was shared in social networks. Photo: screenshot on Twitter

Luis Javier Plata, the doctor in coastal oceanography, explained this system: "The atmosphere is always moving, generating centers of high and low pressure. In the northern hemisphere, due to the acceleration of Coriolis, the atmospheric circulation around a center of High pressure carries a direction counterclockwise, forming an anticyclonic system ".

He added that the "cyclone and anticyclone are mesoscale phenomena, which means that their size is of the order of hundreds of kilometers". Although the anticyclonic system arose on the California coast, it is normal that this phenomenon affects our region.

"Depending on the direction of the winds, the orientation of the coast, the direction in which the cyclone or anticyclone moves and the depth of the sea near the coast, it is not surprising that these winds can displace the surface water bodies out of the coast, so that we see that the sea retreated, "said the doctor in oceanography.

"Once the winds weaken the sea returns to its normal level, so there is no reason to be alarmed, perhaps the main concern for the removal of the ocean is that this also happens with other oceanographic phenomena such as tsunamis, which they have nothing to do with this case, but whose possible destructive effects have made us more cautious in the face of any possible sign of its occurrence, "argued Luis Javier Plata.

On the beaches of Caleta and Caletilla, the displacement occurred for a period of 20 and 30 minutes, but the duration of these phenomena is varied and obeys different factors.

"That the sea returns to its normal level depends on the duration, intensity, direction of the winds and direction in which the anticyclone moves or the cyclone responsible for it, all these characteristics are very variable and can last up to a few days", pointed out

Anticyclones may occur at any time of the year; the cyclones, from May to November, affirmed Javier Plata.

Acapulco was not the only beach in Mexico that during the weekend presented the landslide of the sea.

This phenomenon was recorded for around 30 minutes in Guaymas; later the sea returned to its position. The displacement does not represent risks for the population that lives in the area. In fact, it is common to be present during the winter.

Sea 20 meters away in Guaymas beach. Photo: Courtesy of Debate

According to Opinion Sonora, it is an anticyclonic system located on the coasts of California, in the United States. This causes the winds to turn clockwise and drag the marine waters into the interior.